“Is it one and a half games per victim?” - Mike Florio questions logic behind six-game Deshaun Watson suspension
With the tsunami of preseason football set to make landfall this weekend, Deshaun Watson's punishment remains unknown. As of now, the quarterback is set to miss six games in 2022. However, the NFL has appealed the suspension, leaving his true punishment up in the air.
Speaking on Pro Football Talk Live, show host Mike Florio seemed to side with the NFL in questioning the judge's logic in arriving at the six-game suspension. Here's how he put his confusion:
"I still don't know how she came up with six games. I read that opinion. I've read it again and I've read it again. And there's no real explanation as to where six games comes from. Is it one and a half games per victim? I don't know."
The last time we heard from Deshaun Watson was on June 14 when he said: "Like I said, I never assaulted anyone. I never harassed anyone. I never disrespected anyone. I never forced anyone to do anything."
At what point has he expressed any public remorse? twitter.com/Browns/status/…
Many expect the NFL to push for a full-season suspension, while others have said the league will be happy with a 12-game suspension. Either way, the league is unhappy with the status quo and most expect the number of games to surge.
Spoke to numerous #NFL owners regarding the league appeal of Deshaun Watson suspension. One described the penalty as “too lenient.”
When I asked another whether Watson’s suspension needed to be lengthened and fine added, he replied, “There just needs to be more of everything.”
Deshaun Watson's purgatory
Since the 2020 NFL season ended, Deshaun Watson has been stuck in legal purgatory in a number of ways. His freedom was initially in question after roughly two dozen women accused the quarterback of sexual misconduct.
That said, he still had roughly two dozen civil lawsuits to work through. Over the next several months, he slowly whittled the numbers down. At the same time, the Houston Texans, sensing an opportunity to sneak a trade-in, moved on from the quarterback. He was traded to the Cleveland Browns, where he was greeted with a $230 million contract.
The fully-guaranteed deal was unprecedented and drew massive backlash from across the country. As the summer continued, the league started to look into punishment for the quarterback. Near the start of training camp, presiding judge Sue L. Robinson announced a verdict that would bar the quarterback for the first six games of 2022.
Many speculated the Browns were thrilled about the news, as it was well short of a rumored full-year suspension. However, the league quickly stepped in and appealed the decision, leaving fans wondering how big the scope of punishment for the quarterback will be. Will Watson get on the field this season or will he need to wait until 2023 to throw his first pass on the field since 2020?
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit Pro Football Talk and H/T Sportskeeda.